QUILT INDEX RECORD

18-14-62

DESCRIPTION:

This quilt is one of a pair of youth-sized quilts made for Gasperik’s grand-daughters Karen and Linda using Paragon #01013 Farm Design (also see quilt #059). To each, she added the child’s name and a boy on a horse to represent their father, University of Chicago economics instructor, Maynard C. Krueger, as a Missouri farm boy. The Japanese-style letters and the little boy astride the horse are from outside sources. In 2003 Gasperik granddaughter Joanne Gasperik, a prize-winning quilter in her own right, copied Karen's quilt to make a gift for the third Krueger sister, Susan. It is not known if Mary Gasperik won any ribbons for the two Farmer in the Dell quilts she made for Karen and Linda; but her granddaughter Joanne won one for the quilt she made for her cousin Susan! That quilt was a semi-finalist in the 19th annual American Quilter's Society Quilt Show & Contest in Paducah, Kentucky in 2003.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Mary Gasperik Private Collection

CONTRIBUTING INSTITUTIONAL INVENTORY CONTROL NUMBERS: Enter the main control number for this item you are entering.

029

TYPE OF QUILT OBJECT: Choose the best description for the quilt being documented.

Finished quilt

QUILT'S TITLE, IF IT HAS ONE: Many quilts have no title, but contemporary quilters often give a name to their quilts.

Farm Design

OWNER'S NAME FOR QUILT'S PATTERN: Enter the name given to the quilt by the owner. This can be the name the family used to refer to the quilt as it passed through different generations, e.g. "Aunt Susie's quilt" or a pattern name that the owner used.

Farmer in the Dell (Linda)

ALTERNATE NAME(S) FOR QUILT'S PATTERN IN COMMON USE: This is the name of the quilt pattern that it is commonly used among quilt makers and historians. It may be different in different regions of the country.

The Farm

OVERALL WIDTH: Enter how wide the quilt is.

50 inches

OVERALL LENGTH: Enter how long the quilt is.

70 inches

SHAPE OF EDGE: Choose the best description for the edges of the quilt.

Straight

SHAPE OF CORNERS: Choose the best description for the corners of the quilt.

Straight

PREDOMINANT COLOR(S): Enter all colors that are found in the quilt.

Blue or Navy; Brown; Gold; Green; Orange; Red; Rust; White

OVERALL COLOR SCHEME: Choose the best color scheme description for the quilt being documented.

Multicolor; Bright or primary colors

OVERALL CONDITION: Choose the best description for the quilt being documented.

Very good/almost new

TYPE(S) OF INSCRIPTION: Choose all the options that are found on the quilt.

Initials

CONTENT OF INSCRIPTION(S): Enter the exact inscription here, including dates in the same form in which they appear on the quilt. Do not correct any spellings. If you are unsure of a letter or name, place a (?) to indicate uncertainty.

LINDA

METHOD OF INSCRIPTION: Choose the method used to inscribe the quilt.

Other

OTHER METHOD OF INSCRIPTION: If you chose Other, please describe the method used to inscribe the quilt.

Appliqued Letters

LOCATION OF INSCRIPTION: Enter where the inscription was found on the quilt.

other

OTHER LOCATION OF INSCRIPTION: If you chose Other, please describe where the inscription was found.

On front

TIME PERIOD: Choose the time frame that best describes when the quilt was made. The date does not have to appear on the quilt to enter it in this field. This can be your best guess based on family stories or your own knowledge of quilts.

1930-1949

DATE FINISHED: Enter the date the quilt was finished.

1941

FAMILY/OWNER'S DATE FOR QUILT: If there are family stories that indicate a date when the quilt was made, enter that date.

1941

OTHER DATE ESTIMATION BY WHOM: Enter the name and/or title of the person who estimated the quilt's date for field 23d.

Merikay Waldvogel

FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING DATE(S): If you know anything else about the date the quilt was made, please tell the story.

The Paragon pattern copyright date is 1937. Linda was born in 1938. Family photo dated 1941 shows Karen and Linda in bed under their Farmer quilts

LAYOUT FORMAT: Choose the best description for the layout (or set) of the quilt.

Medallion or framed center

SUBJECT OF QUILT, IF IT HAS ONE: Some quilts are made with a specific intent (e.g. Commemoration of September 11, the 100th anniversary of a town, or an AIDS panel). Enter the subject of the quilt.

Farm

NUMBER OF BORDERS: Borders are the strips of fabric that are added after the blocks (and sashings) are put together. They appear on the outside edges of the quilt. Quilts often have multiple borders. Enter the number of borders on the quilt.

1

BORDER DESCRIPTION: Describe the style of the borders (i.e. pieced, appliqued, stenciled) and the width of each border, from the inside to the outside.

Green border on four sides designed with a scalloped inner seam.

FABRIC FIBER TYPES USED IN QUILT TOP: Choose all the types of fiber that are used to make the quilt top.

Cotton

FABRIC PATTERNS, STYLES, MOTIFS, OR PRINT CATEGORIES USED IN QUILT TOP: Choose all the types of prints that are used to make the quilt top.

Dotted; Print; Solid/plain

OTHER FIBER, FABRIC, OR FABRIC PRINT TYPES USED: Describe any fibers used in the quilt top that do not appear in Field 37, including any unique characteristics of fiber, fabric, or fabric prints used. There is a separate Field (38g) for embellishments.

cotton felt-like beard on farmer

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN QUILT TOP: APPLIQUE TECHNIQUES: Choose the applique method used to construct the quilt.

Hand Applique

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN QUILT TOP: EMBELLISHMENT TECHNIQUES: Choose the embellishment technique used to make the quilt.

Embroidery; Other embellishment technique

CONTAINS PAPER REMAINS: This field is for quilts that have been either string pieced on a paper foundation or English template pieced. Choose yes if you can feel or see paper on the quilt that was used as a construction aid.

no

EMBELLISHMENT MATERIALS USED IN TOP: Choose the embellishment material used to make the quilt.

Buttons attached

UNIQUE EMBELLISHMENTS: Enter any embellishment materials that don't appear in a previous field.

Applique boy on pony, recipient's name appliqued in Japanese style lettering are added from non-kit source.

FABRIC FIBER TYPES USED IN QUILT BACK: Choose the fiber type used to make the quilt back.

Cotton

COLOR OF BACKING: Enter all colors that are found in the quilt backing.

Green

DESCRIPTION OF BACK: Choose the best description for the back of the quilt.

Solid/plain

MATERIALS USED IN QUILT BINDING: Choose the fiber type used to make the quilt binding.

Cotton

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN BINDING: Choose the construction technique used to make the quilt binding.

Bias grain

WIDTH OF QUILT BINDING: Choose the width (in inches) of the binding of the quilt. Measure from the front side only.

less than a half inch

MATERIAL USED FOR QUILT BATTING OR FILLING: Choose the fiber content that best describes the material used to fill the quilt.

Cotton

QUILTING TECHNIQUES USED: Choose the technique that best describes the way the quilt layers are held together.

Hand quilting

THREAD COLOR: Enter the color(s) of thread used to hold the quilt layers together.

white

QUILTING DESIGNS USED: MOTIFS/OVERALL PATTERNS: Choose the overall quilt design found on the quilt top.

Grid/crosshatch; Grid diamond; Patches outlined/in the ditch; Single parallel lines

QUILTING DESIGNS USED: DECORATIVE PATTERNS: Choose the decorative quilt design found on the quilt top.

Feathering; Floral

QUILTING DESIGNS USED: BACKGROUND FILL PATTERNS: Choose the background quilt design found on the quilt top.

Grid/crosshatch; Parallel lines

PLEASE DESCRIBE OTHER QUILTING DESIGNS USED: Describe any other quilting designs that appear on the quilt.

Green border is quilted in parallel straight horizontal lines. Nestled against the inner scalloped edge of this border is a line of feathering studded with some flowers. Interior quilting is a mixture of fine diamond hatching, parallel lines tilted in various directions, and a square grid.

ANY OTHER FEATURES OR NOTES ABOUT THE QUILT'S APPEARANCE, MATERIALS, OR CONSTRUCTION: Describe anything about the physical appearance of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field.

Quilting designs follow the Paragon kit pattern in some areas, but not in others. The horse and rider in upper right quadrant is Gasperik's addition.

QUILT TOP MADE BY: Enter the name of the person(s) who made the quilt top.

Gasperik, Mary

QUILTED BY: Enter the name of the person(s) who quilted the top.

Gasperik, Mary

CITY: Enter the name of the city where the quilt was made.

Chicago

COUNTY: Enter the name of the county where the quilt was made.

Cook County

STATE: Enter the name of the state where the quilt was made.

Illinois (IL)

COUNTRY: Enter the name of the country where the quilt was made.

United States

HOW WAS QUILT ACQUIRED BY OWNER: Choose the best description for how the owner acquired the quilt.

Gift

DETAILS ON HOW THE QUILT WAS ACQUIRED:

Gasperik made this quilt for granddaughter Linda Krueger, who was allowed to use it on special occasions.

QUILTMAKER'S REASONS FOR MAKING THE QUILT: If the quilt was made for a specific purpose, choose the reason from the list.

Baby or crib

QUILT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO BE USED AS: Choose how the quilt was originally used.

Bedding, special occasion

QUILT IS PRESENTLY USED AS: Choose how the quilt is being used by the present owner.

Keepsake/memento

OTHER PRESENT USE(S) OF QUILT: If you chose Other, please explain the quilt's present use.

Mary's grandchildren regard her quilts as a unique collection to be preserved and appreciated.

SOURCE OF QUILT'S MATERIALS: Choose how the quilt maker acquired the fabric for this quilt.

Purchased new

QUILT TOP PATTERN SOURCE: Choose where the quilt maker found the pattern for this quilt.

Commercial/Published source: Kit

OTHER TOP PATTERN SOURCE(S): If you chose Other, please explain where the pattern was found.

Source of applique letters in Japanese style: see Wonder Package-Modern Hand Embroidery Patterns, (Donald F. Duncan Inc., Chicago) 1933.

COMMERCIAL SOURCE NAME(S): If you know the commercial name of the pattern used for this quilt, please enter it. This may include books, magazines, newsletters, pattern companies, computer software programs, and kits.

Farm Design

QUILTING DESIGN PATTERN SOURCE: Choose where the quilt maker found the pattern for the quilting design used in this quilt.

Kit

ANY ADDITIONAL NOTES OR STORIES ABOUT THE QUILT'S DESIGN OR MATERIALS SOURCE: Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field.

Gasperik appears to have largely followed the original kit design. But she added her own unique touches. These include the grand-daughter's name in applique letters (from her Wonder Package box of transfer patterns) and the boy on the horse. Susan Salser originally thought that her grandmother borrowed the horse pattern from a different Paragon kit, #1005, called Noah's Ark. In 2016 Salser succeeded in purchasing an original Noah's Ark complete kit. She can see that although the stance of the horse is similar in Gasperik's Farmer quilts to the horse pattern included in Paragon's Noah's Ark kit #01005, the Gasperik horse is sized larger and includes much, much greater detail than the Paragon kit horse. So it is not clear if Gasperik found a more detailed and somewhat larger horse in a different source (perhaps a children's book?) or if she started by using the Paragon horse outline and transformed it by adding details suggested by outside source material. Since experienced quilters often transform their source materials to some degree, it is impossible to answer this question unless the 'better' source illustration is found. In the case of Gasperik's quilt Road to Recovery, Salser actually DID find the outside source material which exactly matches Gasperik's rendition of the two robins. She found it in a bird book titled Bird Neighbors illustrated by Fern Bisel Peat. Gasperik copied Peat's illustration quite closely. Salser believes the there may exist a book illustration which can account for Gasperik's creative and detailed rendition of the boy riding his horse. Gasperik substituted a polka dot apron with real pockets for the kit's plain white flat apron and she added a fourth blue airplane. The farmer's fuzzy beard was supplied by the Paragon kit.

EXHIBITIONS: List all known exhibits where this quilt has been displayed.

The Quilts of Mary Gasperik, Ravenswood Historic Site, Livermore, CA, March 14-15, 1992.

OTHER RELATED ITEMS: List other materials that exist about this quilt like oral histories, wills, diaries, or patterns.

The Wonder Package: Modern Hand Embroidery Patterns. (Chicago: Donald Duncan, Inc., 1933) Collection of Susan Salser.

In June 2006 Salser purchased a partially completed Farm quilt in an ebay auction. She has the original envelope, with a price tag of $1.95 from Marshall Field & Company, as well as the original instruction sheet, which bears a 1937 copyright date. Susan decided to complete the quilt for her own grandchild, born in 2007. The partially completed quilt came from the estate of a 95 year old woman in Portland, Oregon.

In July 2003 Susan Salser purchased, from a seller in Pennsylvania, a completed Paragon The Farm quilt. It is in good condition, reasonably well made, and offers a good comparison of a well-made kit quilt with the Gasperik version of that same kit.

Family photograph of Karen and Linda Krueger, in bed under their two Farmer quilts was pasted into a family album sent to Germany in 1947 (Erika Gasperik - private collection). This album includes photos of two other Gasperik quilts: Morning Glory #026 and Hungarian Harvest Festival #014.

AVAILABLE SOURCES FOR QUILTMAKER: List other source materials about this quiltmaker such as photos, oral histories, book or newspaper publications, fame for some other reason or event.

Merikay Waldvogel and Barbara Brackman. Patchwork Souvenirs of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, (Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press, 1993)102-103.

Merikay Waldvogel "One American Dream Comes True", Quilters Newsletter Magazine, March 2008, 46-49.

OWNERSHIP OF THIS QUILT IS:

Private

NAME OF QUILT OWNER:

Linda Krueger MacLachlan

QUILT OWNER'S COUNTRY:

United States

AUTHOR/INTERVIEWEE'S RELATION TO THE QUILT:

Author/researcher; Blood relative of quiltmaker

OTHER RELATIONSHIP TO SOURCE: If you chose Other, for the relationship to the source, describe the relationship here.

Grand-daughter

OTHER INFORMATION ON SOURCE PERSON TO QUILT:

Grand-daughter Susan Salser began this research effort in 1991, after she and her two sisters divided up the quilts which belonged to their mother (Elsie Gasperik Krueger) who died in 1988. Her ongoing research has been fruitful and interesting.

QUILTMAKER'S MAIDEN NAME:

Mihalovits, Maria

QUILTMAKER'S GENDER:

Female

QUILTMAKER'S BIRTH DATE:

01/25/1888

DEATH DATE OF THE QUILTMAKER, IF APPLICABLE:

05/25/1969

QUILTMAKER'S ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

Hungarian

QUILTMAKER'S EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Elementary School

QUILTMAKER'S COUNTRY OF BIRTH:

Hungary

IN WHICH KIND OF ENVIRONMENT DID THE QUILTMAKER GROW UP?

Rural

CITY WHERE THE QUILTMAKER LIVES/LIVED:

Chicago

COUNTY WHERE THE QUILTMAKER LIVES/LIVED:

Cook

STATE WHERE THE QUILTMAKER LIVES/LIVED:

Illinois (IL)

COUNTRY WHERE THE QUILTMAKER LIVES/LIVED:

United States

QUILTMAKER'S FATHER'S NAME:

Mihalovits, Istvan

FATHER'S BIRTHPLACE:

Hungary

FATHER'S ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

Hungarian

QUILTMAKER'S MOTHER'S NAME:

Mihalovits, Vidoszava

MOTHER'S BIRTHPLACE:

Hungary

MOTHER'S ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

Hungarian

SPOUSE'S ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

Hungarian

SPOUSE'S OCCUPATION:

Milk Dealer/Grocery Store Owner/Butcher

NUMBER OF CHILDREN:

3

NUMBER OF FEMALE CHILDREN:

1 (Elsie 1909-1988)

NUMBER OF MALE CHILDREN:

2 (Elmer and Stephen)

HOW DID THE QUILTMAKER LEARN TO QUILT?

From guild or club member; Self-Taught

WHEN DID THE QUILTMAKER LEARN TO QUILT?

Age 40-49

WHY DOES/DID THE QUILTMAKER QUILT:

Pleasure; Other

OTHER, WHY THE QUILTMAKER QUILTS:

Mary Gasperik made quilts because it was her life passion and greatest talent. As opportunities arose, she entered contests and exhibited them publicly. She also made special quilts for her family.

NAME OF QUILTING GROUP: If the quilt maker belonged to a group, enter the name of the group.

Tuley Park Quilt Club and Detroit News Quilt Club

LOCATION OF GROUP:

Southside Chicago and Detroit MI

SPECIALIZED ACTIVITIES/EVENTS OF QUILTING GROUP: Enter activities the group participated in.

Chicago group met to quilt and held periodic quilt shows; Detroit group held national exhibits and contests.

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF QUILTS MADE BY THIS QUILTER:

more than 50

DID THE QUILTMAKER SELL QUILTS?

no

DOES/DID QUILTMAKER TEACH QUILTING: Is the quilt maker also a quilt teacher?

no

PHOTO CREDIT:

Don Gonzalez

ACCESS AND COPYRIGHT IS:

Restricted

HOLDER OF COPYRIGHT:

Susan Salser

Details

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